2014 NHL Draft Profile #19: Sonny Milano

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Sonny Milano was the second leading scorer on the US NTDP U18 team this year, finishing only behind linemate and 2015 phenom Jack Eichel. He put up 14 goals and 39 points in 25 games during the USHL portion of the schedule, and another 21 goals and 67 points in 48 games during the exhibition portion. He nearly averaged an assist per game overall. Milano is playing for the US at the Under 20 World Championships. He was originally verbally committed to Notre Dame, but has changed and is now committed to Boston College next year. However, if he changes his mind again and decides to go the CHL route, his rights are owned by the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL.

Milano once won a contest run by Bauer when he was in the eighth grade to make your own Bauer commercial. I’ve included his entry in the highlights below.

Sonny Milano

Sonny Milano has good top end speed, but his quickness is outstanding. By that I mean that he has a tremendous first step, great acceleration, and the ability to change direction on a dime. This really helps him to get by defencemen as the moment he sees an opening, he can fly through it. His ability to change speeds is deceptive and makes him very elusive. Milano also has very good agility and edgework. His balance and strength on the puck would be improved by adding more muscle to his frame.

Milano has great hands and the ability to make plays with the puck at top speed. He loves to shoot the puck, and has a great wrist shot and release. He also has a very dangerous backhand which he can get off in an instant. Milano is relentless on the puck, chasing down loose pucks in the offensive zone with reckless abandon. He wins puck battles via his determination, positioning and leverage, but can do even better if he added muscle. He is very dangerous working off the half-wall on the powerplay, as he can take advantage of smallest bit of extra time and space to create excellent scoring chances with a shot or a pass. He is a tremendous playmaker with great vision, and the ability to thread the needle and put the puck on a teammates tape.

Milano can improve his defensive game. He needs to work harder and more consistently defensively, as he can sometimes coast when his team doesn’t have the puck. He doesn’t use his skating, and his quick feet as effectively in the defensive zone as he does in the offensive zone. This can be taught going forward.

Milano plays the game in a similar style to TJ Oshie of the St. Louis Blues, however this is a stylistic comparison and not a talent evaluation. In terms of potential, Sonny Milano has the type of dynamic offensive skills that simply can’t be taught. As such his ceiling is high and he can be an important offensive contributor on the top six and on the powerplay if he is able to deliver on that potential.

Here are some highlights of Sonny Milano in action as well as an interview.